Making Myth Podcast

Love what you hear? Send us fan mail! On December 13, 1897, Charmion took New York by storm in her debut performance of what'd become her infamous trapeze disrobing act. Combining flexing, athleticism, and undressing, Charmion challenged Victorian values by putting her strong and feminine body on display. Charmion defied social norms by showing off her beautiful muscles and enticing audiences of both men and women with her vaudeville performances. One of the most famous performers of her day,...

Love what you hear? Send us fan mail! On May 5, 1976, Interview With the Vampire hit bookstores for the first time. Author Anne Rice likely didn't know what a hit she had in her debut novel but it redefined our view of vampires. Born and raised in New Orleans to a devout Catholic family, Anne was influenced by the supernatural aura of the Crescent City. Her active imagination influenced the stories she wrote from early childhood and the 1936 film Dracula's Daughter sparked her interest ...

Love what you hear? Send us fan mail! By age 15 Juana Inés de la Cruz was known as the most learned woman in Colonial Mexico. Born to a Spanish father and a Creole mother, Juana experienced the rigidity of the Mexican casta system. When her mother said no to letting Juana dress as a boy and go to Mexico City to study, she turned to her grandfather's library to satisfy her voracious love of reading. During her teenage years, she became a lady in waiting for the Marchioness of Mancera and was p...

Love what you hear? Send us fan mail! In 1998, genetic scientific evidence confirmed nearly two centuries of rumors: Sally Hemings' children were, in fact, fathered by Thomas Jefferson. After her return to the United States, Sally bore seven children with four surviving to adulthood. The births of her children coincided with the times Jefferson returned to Monticello over the years. Sally's four surviving children were all freed by age 21, giving us evidence that Jefferson kept the prom...

Love what you hear? Send us fan mail! On July 15, 1787, 14 year old Sally Hemings arrived in Paris, France with Martha "Patsy" Jefferson. For the first time in her short life, she was on free soil. As a young woman owned by Thomas Jefferson, she'd never had the possibility of freedom in front of her before. She and her brother James were paid wages by Jefferson while in Paris, setting into motion a legacy she wouldn't see realized until 36 years later. Upon leaving Paris, Sally was pregnant w...